


The Wolf in Hero’s Clothing

by Wolvesowl



Category: Naruto, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Animal Transformation, BAMF Hatake Kakashi, Dimension Travel, Gen, Hatake Kakashi is so Done, Midoriya Izuku Has a Quirk, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Hatake Kakashi, Protective Hatake Kakashi, Reincarnation, and it’s Izuku’s fault, and the result of a quirk, expect its permanent, of sorts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-15 08:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29311146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolvesowl/pseuds/Wolvesowl
Summary: When Kakashi Hatake closed his eyes for the final time, he did not expect to wake up.Much less in a world where the Elemental Nations didn’t exist, technology had advanced seemingly centuries beyond what he was used to, and instead of chakra, humanity had quirks.So when he opened his eyes so see a very small green haired child squealing about how he “can summon a giant wolf for his quirk that’s so cool”, it took him a moment to process things.Then he realized he was still alive, despite the fact that he was almost certain he’d been practically torn apart by chakra.What the fuck.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Midoriya Izuku
Comments: 76
Kudos: 455
Collections: Animal Transformations





	1. As One Life Ends

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I’m fairly new to this fanfic thing! I’ve written a few in the past, usually one shots, but I thought this time I’d try a multi-chaptered fix. I hope you enjoy!

Kakashi Hatake had lived a long life. Or, well, a long life for someone in his profession. Hell, he hadn’t expected to make it out of ANBU alive, let alone the years that followed. Still, even if his continued survival up to this point was extremely unexpected, he was grateful. If he hadn’t lived as long as he had, he would never have met his precious little students. Though....looking at them now, they weren’t quite so little anymore, were they?

They’d just defeated Kaguya, a literal Goddess, the one who had given chakra to humanity in the first place. They really had come so far, and....and he had had very little to do with their growth. He had many regrets, and the fact that he’d been a shit teacher was just one of them. Kami, Minato-sensei had to be so disappointed in him. He sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. His eyes ached. After he’d lost his Sharingan, he’d never expected to get it back. Let alone two fully functioning ones. But it seems when Obito had mentioned one last parting gift, he’d intended for it to be a life-long one. Now, the Hatake had two Sharingan, and unlike before, he was could actually turn them off. His eyes now functioned like a born Uchiha’s Sharingan would. It was....quite a lot to process.

He looked up when he heard Sakura exclaim in alarm, his eyes already spinning into the Sharingan purely on reflex. And then he saw it. Zetsu. He’d thought the plant freak was long gone, but it seemed it had just enough left in it for one last hurrah. It had twisted itself, and was preparing to launch itself at Sasuke. And Kakashi....Kakashi reacted. He knew the boy was more powerful then him, but Sasuke had also exhausted every drop of his chakra in the fight. He wouldn’t have the energy to avoid the attack. But Kakashi...could. With a thought, his eyes shifted into the Mangekyo, and he was stepping into Kamui. 

He slipped out just in front of his student, just as Zetsu’s chakra peaked, and Kakashi could feel the plant pulling chakra from Kaguya’s remains to power his final attack. He smiled underneath his mask, and activated Kamui one final time. He’d take the attack. He knew it would kill him. But he’d transport himself, Zetsu, and whatever remained of Kaguya into Kamui. The attack would kill him in the process of transporting them all to the pocket dimension, and whatever remained of Zetsu and Kaguya would be either lost forever in Kamui, never able to leak into the normal plain, or would be lost in the in between when Kakashi’s died.

Kakashi felt the attack hit. The pain...was worse than anything he’d ever experienced. It felt like it was ripping apart his very soul. He bit back a wheeze, and let himself slip into the twist of space-time that was Kamui. He heard Naruto scream his name, heard Sasuke’s sharp breath of shock, heard Sakura snarl in protest...and then it all slipped away. Kamui pulled Zetsu, Kaguya, the the meager remains of their chakra away....and took Kakashi Hatake with it.

Now, Kakashi didn’t want to die, per say. If he had had the chance, he would have loved nothing more than to survive the war, retire from his Shinobi career, and live a long, quiet life. Watch his students and the next generation carry the Shinobi world into an era of peace, and and bask in all that came with it. He would have liked to see his students build families of their own, would have loved to watch as war became nothing but a painful memory. He wished he had told Gai that....

Well, it didn’t matter now. 

The pain faded, and Kakashi felt his consciousness fade with it. It was over, now. All that was left for him was the Pure Lands. He would get to see Rin and Obito again. Would get to apologize for wasting Obito’s final gift so soon. Would get to see Minato-sensei and Kushina-nee, and apologize for not being a better student to Minato and a better teacher to their son. He would get to see his father again. He remembered their brief meeting, in the in between of life and death, during Pain’s assault on Konoha. But there was so much more he wanted to say. More than that, he craved to hug Sakumo tightly. He regretted the way he’d distanced himself from the man when he’d been a child. Now...now he could apologize. He was looking forward to it. And so, with a smile, Kakashi Hatake closed his eyes for the final time, and let go. His spirit would go on. He would see his family again. And when those he’d left behind finally came to the end of their time...he’d be there to greet them once more.

Or at least, that’s what he thought would happen. 

Unfortunately for him, fate had other plans.


	2. Another Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi wakes up in a new world.
> 
> He learns some things.
> 
> Also, he’s fairly sure that somewhere, Obito is laughing at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, here’s chapter 1! For future updates, I probably won’t get them out this quickly. This one only came so soon because the prologue was short and I had a massive burst of inspiration.
> 
> Also, I apologize in advance for any mistakes with spelling. I caught everything I could, but at the moment I do not have a Beta reader and have no idea how to go about finding one.
> 
> Now that all that’s all of the way, I hope you enjoy!

Something wasn’t right. Kakashi was barely conscious, awareness hovering just on the edge of his mind, but he still knew that much. The first that that tipped him off was the smell. If he was in the Pure Lands, like he should be after dying, the scents should be at least finally familiar. He would have expected, or at least hoped, that his lost family, his lost pack, would be there to greet him when he first opened his eyes. But their scents weren’t anywhere. In fact, the only scents around him that belonged to people were two very unfamiliar ones. Even beyond that, there was a very strange note of artificially in the air. The last time the Hatake has smelled something like this, it had been in the civilian capital of Fire Country, the city that housed the Daimyo. It was a scent he’d come to understand meant urban, populated, developed areas with little nature. The Hidden Villages were developed, but they were all very much hidden within the natural ecosystem. Konoha for example, was built within the forests of Fire Country, so even in the middle of the Village, or within his home, he’d always been able to smell the crisp freshness of thenature that surrounded everything. He hadn’t been able to smell any nature when he’d visited the civilian city, and this scent was vaguely like said city, just...more contained. As if he was inside.

The other hint that not all was as it should be came when his hearing returned as he gradually regained consciousness. The sounds he was hearing were that of excited, juvenile babbling, and gentle, concerned murmurs. He didn’t recognize either voice, though he registered one as belonging to a small child, male from the scent and sounds of it. The other voice belonged to an adult woman, who, from the somewhat similar scent to the child she had, was likely the boy’s mother. The discovery was enough to jolt him to awareness, though he gave no physical signs he was awake. He was supposed to be dead, he knew, but if he somehow wasn’t and he was not with anyone he could recognize....well, he was a Shinobi and had many enemies. He would need to figure out his current situation before he let on to any potential captors that he was awake. So, he opted to just listen for now, to see if he could figure out what had happened to him.

“-and it’s so big! Did you see mom, did you see! It appeared when I clapped my hands, it’s like I called it!” That was the child. But what was he talking about? And why was he being referred to as an “it”?

“I saw, Izuku.” that was the woman. So the boy was called Izuku? “The flash of light that it appeared in was the same color as the light your hands were glowing in. Maybe you summoned it?”

Summoned? Like a summoning contract? His mind raced as he tried to piece together the few pieces of the puzzle he’d received so far, but none of it made sense. There was only one thought racing through his mind as he tried to understand what had happened to him and where he was.

_Just what was going on?_

Still, he said nothing. He needed more information. Maybe this was a jutsu?

“Summoned it?” The boy sounded confused. “You mean, like a quirk?”

What the fuck was a quirk? The way the kid said it, it was like it was significant. Like the word meant something. And how would a “quirk” have anything to do with summoning a Shinobi? None of this was making any sense. He forced his attention outwards, on the child who was still talking.

“-so cool! If I summoned it then that means my quirk is a Familiar type quirk!” The boy sounded beyond excited at this. “Oh my gosh my quirk gives me a giant wolf familiar!”

What.

_A wolf?!_

Abruptly, his eyes snapped open and he was shoving himself up, standing at his full height and looking around. He was inside, in some sort of apartment. There was in fact a child and a woman in the room. Both of them had green hair. Given that one of his students had pink hair, that wasn’t all too surprising. No, what was surprising was the fact that, rather than two points of contact with the ground as he’d expect if he was standing on two legs, he was standing on four points of contact. And he knew he wasn’t on his hands and knees. There was an odd twitch at the top of his head, and Kakashi felt panic curl in his gut as he looked down, and saw....

Paws.

Where he expected to see his feet in his usual standard-issue sandals, he rather saw paws. Soft, white, furry paws. Which meant the twitch he’d felt on top of his head had to be ears. He looked over his shoulder, and his body was long and sleek, with lashing tail at his hindquarters, and yes, completely covered in fur.

He blinked slowly, then realized he still had chakra. He didn’t feel any in his surroundings, but he still possessed it. With that, he narrowed his eyes, and his eyes bled into the Sharingan. But...the genjutsu didn’t break. Usually, using his Sharingan was enough to see through a genius try, unless it was one cast by another Sharingan or by a very powerful genjutsu specialist. But nothing was changing, which meant...this wasn’t a genjutsu. So he really was a wolf. Was it ninjutsu or fuinjutsu, then? It didn’t feel like it. There were none of the usual signs of either category of techniques. Which meant, this, whatever it was, and however it had happened, was real. But how?

His mind raced, turning over what he remembered. The War. Zetsu. Kamui. The pain of the chakra attack. The fact that he knew for a fact he had slipped into the Kamui portal because he remembered seeing his students disappear from sight in a twist of space. This wasn’t Kamui, though, and no one else alive had the ability to use Kamui. This also was most certainly not the Pure Lands. So what? Perhaps the blend of Zetsu’s and Kaguya’s chakra had caused something to go wrong in the in between of the real world and the Kamui dimension? It was a space-time technique, after all, and Kakashi knew that space-time techniques were extremely finicky.

Wait.

Space-time.

_That was it._

He focused back on his surroundings in time to hear nervous stuttering from the woman.

“-oh m-my, it’s not doing anything. Maybe it’s hurt, Izuku? Can you try talking to it? If it’s your familiar you should have some type of bond with it.”

The boy nodded furiously, then looked up at the large wolf. Ah. Kakashi just realized that he was, in fact, rather giant. He was big enough for the woman to ride comfortably, though she did also seem somewhat short for a woman her age. He was guessing she was in her early thirties?

“Excuse me, wolf-san? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Kakashi looked down at the child, noting in his peripheral that the woman tensed when he moved.

“Mah mah,” he drawled lazily, internally delighting in the surprised yelps from both the woman and the child. “I’m quite alright, I assure you.” he swished his tail, letting his posture slip into something more lazy and relaxed. “Also, I’m not an it.” he remarked blandly.

The boy gasped, eyes widening to a size he previously thought impossible and his bright green eyes quite literally sparkling. What the fuck.

“You can talk! That’s so cool! My name is Izuku, wolf-san! What’s your name? Are you my quirk? You have to be, you appeared in a big flash of blue light, like lighting! And my hands where glowing with that same light, and when I clapped them together the light looked like it broke and then you appeared! So I think that means I summoned you! You’re so big! What can you do? And your eyes turned red earlier! What was that, was that some special power?” The boy–Izuku–asked questions in rapid fire, barely giving Kakashi a chance to process one before the next one was fired at him. But Kakashi had grown up with Gai. He knew how to handle this sort of thing. Before he could say anything, though, the boy gasped loudly. “Does that mean you’re a magic wolf? I have I magic wolf as a familiar for my quirk? That’s so cool! If that red eye thing was a special ability, then-“ and nope, that was enough.

Kakashi lifted a law, then gently pressed it to the kids mouth. Or rather, his face. Great Kami, his paw was the size of the brat’s entire face, maybe even a little bigger. Still, now that the hyperactive little thing was quiet, the Hatake could answer his questions.

“My name is Kakashi. I do not know if I am your quirk. I don’t even know what a quirk is. I can do a lot of things. Yes, my eyes turning red was a special ability. I am not a magic wolf. Again, I do not know if I am your quirk and what I can do isn’t magic. At least not where I’m from.”

Then he lifted his paw away from Izuku’s face, sitting down and watching him bemusedly. At the boy’s side, his mother seemed nervous, surprised, and amused all at once. And the boy, somehow, was vibrating. Almost literally. Again, what the fuck. Before this could devolve into another barrage of questions, Kakashi had a couple of his own.

“I am terribly sorry to to have to put a stop to all this, but would you mind telling me where I am?” he drawled. “And perhaps pointing me in the direction of Fire Country?”

“You’re in Musutafu, Japan, Kakashi-san.” The woman answered, confusionin her tone. “And I’m not sure where Fire Country is. Is that where you come from?”

Kakashi stopped breathing. If he was still in the Elemental Nations, then there was no way these people wouldn’t know about Fire Country. And he’d never heard of Musutafu or Japan either.

“I see.” He said carefully, hiding his panic under a mask of calm. “Then can you at least point me in the direction of the Elemental Nations?” he asked hopefully.

The woman bit her lips, obviously still confused. “There is no country or continent called the Elemental Nations, Kakashi-san.”

Dammit. That confirmed it. This wasn’t his world. The combination of Zetsu and Kaguya’s chakra, with his lack of chakra, with the Kamui, and whatever Izuku had done to summon him...all those factors must have combined at just the right time in just the right way to send him into another world. It was the only explanation he could think of without any more information.

It wasn’t like he didn’t know other worlds and dimensions existed. Shinobi had known of space-time techniques for years, and as such as also known if the existence of parallel and alternate worlds and timelines as well. Hiraishin was a space-time technique, after all. Hell, even summoning was a space-time technique, and Shinobi had known of summoning beasts and their own pocket realms for as long as there had been Shinobi. It was only that traveling to alternate worlds and timelines was always deemed too dangerous, as there were too many unknowns involved. Though, among the Shinobi population there had always been a general understanding that such things did exist. And now Kakashi had been thrown across space-time into another plain of existence. And...he couldn’t feel any chakra. He didn’t know if there was a way for him to go back.

He cleared his throat, abruptly aware that the boy and his mother were both staring at him as he stayed silent.

“I...see.” he said again, voice tight.

“...I’m sorry.” Izuku whispered. “I didn’t know I summoned you away from your home. I don’t know how to send you back.” he said, eyes wet with unshed tears.

Kakashi sighed. “Mah, it’s alright, Izu-chan.” he said, internally smirking at the boy’s wrinkled nose and surprised look. “It’s not your fault. Like you said, you didn’t know.”

The boy nodded slowly, still looking regretful, and Kakashi was very grateful when the woman spoke up. “Ah, perhaps we should go visit a quirk specialist? There are always clinics open to help in cases of quirk emergencies, and I think a quirk suddenly developing would count.If we see a specialist, perhaps they can help us figure out how Izuku called you here and how he can send you back. They’ll be able to perform a few tests and tell us some more details about your new quirk.” she suggested, the last sentence being directed at Izuku himself.

Kakashi nodded, then stood and stretched, internally amused (though he gave no physical indications of it) when both Izuku and his mother jumped at the motion. It seemed they were still getting used to just how big he was. And even he could admit that the claws that poked out of his paws as he stretched downwards were rather deadly looking.

“That sounds like a good plan to me.” he agreed. “I only have one question. What exactly is a quirk?”

* * *

Kakashi kind of wanted to cry. Apparently, a quirk was, essentially, similar to a kekkei genkai in that it gave any who had one a unique ability that no one else had. Except, unlike a kekkei genkai, almost every human on earth had a quirk and it was considered unusual not to possess one, and _every single individual quirk was different_. Oh sure two people, usually those who were blood related, could have similar quirks, but no two quirks were the same.

_And Izuku thought_ he _was the one with “special magic powers”._

Izuku’s mother–or Inko, as she had helpfully introduced herself–had also been kind enough to explain the history of quirks to him. From what she’d said, humanity had not always had them. In fact, the first human recorded to have a quirk had been an infant who had the ability to glow. He’d cackled at that. Of course the the the first quirk in the history of humanity would be a _nightlight baby._

His display of amusement had attracted uneasy looks from the other pedestrians-they were walking since he apparently couldn't fit in the metal box on wheels that Inko had called a “car”. A few of the people around them shifted away, and Inko was quick to notice.

“Sorry!” She apologized hurriedly. “He’s my son’s new summon! His quirk just manifested!” she explained it quickly.

She gently tugged an oblivious Izuku, who has been too busy staring at a nearby man with a venus flytrap for a head (seriously what the fuck even was life at this point that he met a man who looked like a Zetsu reject after he was _supposed to have been brutally killed_ ), and the ragtag group of three was rushing away. Thankfully, it seemed the clinic Inko had mentioned was close, and they were walking in the the doors a few moments later. The receptionist looked up as they entered, only to freeze and gape as she stared at Kakashi. His ears flicked and he snorted, looking unimpressed. Seriously, was this how everyone was going to react to him? He could do without all of it, thanks.

Inko led them to a corner, sat Izuku in a chair, motioned for Kakashi to wait, and then went up to the receptionist. He could easily have listened in on what she was saying, but he chose instead to look down at the child who was supposedly now his summoner. The boy was young, he realized as he finally got a good long look at him. Oh, he’d noticed it at first glance, sure, but now that he was really looking....Izuku was young. Kakashi...wasn’t used to young children. Even the youngest children he had ever interacted with had been Academy aged, so being around a child who would be too young for the Academy, even Konoha’s standards...it wasn’t something he was used to.

The boy was just so innocent. His cheeks were rounded and pudgy, his fingers and hands small and soft. And his eyes...Izuku’s eyes were still filled with a sort of child-like awe and excitement. Sure, children in the Academy were innocent, but even they knew about death, knew that one day they would take a life if they truly intended to become Shinobi. Izuku had none of that. He was untainted. Pure.

Kakashi felt his thoughts begin to spiral, and his form slowly tensed, when he heard Inko’s soft voice. He snapped his head up, and she was standing in front of him. Izuku’s hand was once more clasped in hers, and he was practically vibrating from excitement at her side. He blinked slowly, then realized she was expecting an answer from him.

“Mah, I’m afraid I didn’t catch that.”

“The quirk specialist can see us now.” she repeated patiently. “Can you follow us, Kakashi-san? If we figure this out, there might be a way for us to send you home.”

He nodded, then stood and followed her as she walked through the door behind the receptionist. There was a hall of doors, but she was quick to turn into one of them, then shut it behind him when he entered. She carefully helped Izuku into one of the two stools available, taking the other one herself. Kakashi just sat behind them, and his gaze finally found the man who he presumed was the quirk specialist.

He was clothed in a doctors garb, his head round and completely hairless save a very bushy mustache under his nose. He was wearing odd green goggles, rimmed with a bronze medal. The man was short, and looked like he was somewhere in his 40s. All in all, he was fairly unimpressive. Though, if he could help them today, Kakashi didn’t care what he looked like.

“Good morning, Midoriya-san.” the man greeted. Ah, that was right. Inko had mentioned that their family name was Midoriya. “My name is Dr.Tsubasa.” The man continued. “I’m told you’re here today because of your son’s quirk manifesting.”

“Ah, yes. Izuku summoned Kakashi. We...wanted to figure out more about how his quirk works, and I thought if I brought everyone here, then maybe you could perform some tests safely so we can figure a few things out.”

“Kakashi?”

The Hatake bared his teeth in a grin at the doctor’s confusion. “Yo.” he greeted, taking delight in the startled squeal the man let out before he got in control of himself.

“Ah, yes. I see. Kakashi. The giant talking wolf. That your son summoned.” Dr.Tsubasa repeated, seemingly in shock. Then he shook himself out if his stunned stupor, straightening. “Well, you were right to come here.” he put his fingers to his chin, seemingly in thought. “As you know, there are three primary quirk types: Emitter, Transformation, and Mutation. However, there is a fourth category, but as it is highly specific, far less broad, and more importantly, extremely rare, it’s not often taught abou. Though, most people do know that it exits, even if they don’t know the details of it. That fourth type is the rare Familiar type.” he explained.

Inko flushed. “Yes, I’m aware. My mother had a Familiar quirk. It allowed her to mentally bond with any animal she built an emotional connection with, and they would become her companions.” she explained.

Dr.Tsubasa hummed. “That would explain why your son also has a Familiar quirk, though it does not explain the summoning ability.”

That was when Izuku himself piled up. “Mom’s quirk is Attract! She can pull small objects to herself.” he supplied.

Dr.Tsubasa just smiled warmly at the boy. “Then perhaps that is it. A mixing of quirks over generations, if you will. Your quirk is maybe less summoning, and more...,pulling your Familiar to you.” he mused. “Though why a giant talking wolf that most definitely did not come from this world, I do not know.” Here he paused. “Are you from this world?” Here, he directed the question at Kakashi, and his voice was hesitant as he did so.

“Nope.” Kakashi said with faux cheer. Not that anyone here knew that.

The doctor cleared his throat, seemingly relieved, then nodded. “Of course, all of that is just theory. Familiar quirks are...tricky. There’s not many of them, and while you aren’t the first person who has managed to summon another creature, all the times before you were different to what your own situation is.” he said, speaking to Izuku this time. Then he directed his words at all of them. “Now, I’ve told you some of my theories, but if we want to know more details about this new quirk, the best thing to do would be to run some tests.” he tapped his chin, seemingly lost in though before he directed his attention back to Inko. “But before any of that, would you tell me in as much detail as possible exactly what happened when the wolf was summoned?”

Kakashi bit back his irritation at being referred to as “the wolf”. It was fine. He was already learning a lot. He could tolerate some annoyances if it meant he learned what he wanted to know. But, the doctor asked a good question. He’d learned a little about how Izuku had apparently summoned him here, but he didn’t know the full story.

“Well,” Inko began, her voice quiet. “We had just finished lunch this afternoon. I put on the news for Izuku-he loves to watch hero fights, you know.” she sent a son a small, fond smile, squeezing his hand at his excited squeak. “He was watching about the new hero who debuted recently. Shockwave, I think his name is? He can create massive shockwaves capable of knocking people by when a part of his body impacts something else.” she explained.

“Like when he stomps his feet or punches a villain!” Izuku interrupted eagerly. “He’s so cool! Today I saw him create a shockwave by clapping his hands together really hard! And I thought it’d be so cool if my quirk was like that, and I was thinking of how much I wanted it to come in, and then I was going to clap my hands like he did!” he babbled eagerly. “But my hands started glowing, and I didn’t realize it in time to stop clapping, and when I did the light around my hands broke! Then there was a big flash of light, like lighting! And when it went away, Kakashi was there!” he explained eagerly.

Inko just smiled at her son, gently patting his head. “Yes, thank you, Izuku.”

Kakashi just had one question, though he knew now wasn’t the time. He’d just ask Inko later. What did these people mean when they mentioned heroes, he wondered? They talked almost as if being a hero was a profession. He didn’t quite understand. His ears perked forward, and he pushed the thoughts aside as the doctor hummed contemplatively.

“I see.” he said. He stood, smiling at the group. “Well, if you three will come along, I’ll lead you to our testing room. Some of my colleagues and I will be the ones performing the tests.” he explained. Inko stood, helping Izuku off his stool, and Kakashi shifted up to his feet.

“By all means, doctor.” he drawled. “Lead the way.”

* * *

Kakashi officially hated quirk tests. The first one hadn’t been so bad. The woman who had been helping Dr.Tsubasa had some form of information quirk that allowed her to gain an instant understanding of some of the inner workings of something she touched. So when she’d touched him and Izuku, she’d been able to give a little insight about the details of the boy’s new quirk. Apparently, even her quirk hadn’t known what to make of Kakashi, so the information had been limited. She had been able to tell them one useful detail, though.

Izuku’s quirk was a form of permanent summoning.

Which meant that he wouldn’t be able to go home.

He hadn’t been able to stop his flinch when he heard that. When he looked down at Izuku, the boy looked guilty. Kakashi blinked slowly, then sagged and lowered his head to poke Izuku’s cheek with his nose. He startled, looking up at the wolf with wide eyes.

“Don’t worry, kid.” Kakashi sighed. “It isn’t your fault. It’s not like you did it on purpose.” he soothed. Izuku only looked slightly reassured.

He bit back a groan, shooting the adults a helpless look when the boy continued to act so despondent. Thankfully, it seemed the doctor got the hint. He stepped toward, clearing his throat to get everyone’s attention.

“Now that we know a little more, I think it would be best to move on to the tests.” he suggested.

And that was when the tests that Kakashi had come to hate began. The first one had been a form of distance test. The doctors had wanted to see how far Kakashi and Izuku could be separated. So, Kakashi had stayed in the testing room, while Inko and another doctor lead Izuku away. Apparently, they were going to use one of those “cars” to get further away. They hadn’t had to wait long to learn what the distance limit was. A short while after the trio left, Kakashi had felt a tug in his chest, and then he’d disappeared . The sensation had not been dissimilar to when Minato-sensei used the Hiraishin with Kakashi as his passenger. He’d reappeared in the middle of what he recognized was a small street...and then grunted when something hit him. It had sent him to the ground, and when he looked up it was one of those cars and Inko and Izuku were rushing out, the doctor close behind.

Kakashi just got back to his feet, reassuring them he was okay. Honestly, it hadn’t even hurt. It had felt more like when Naruto tackled him in a hug when he wasn’t expecting it. Even Gai’s surprise tackles were worse. Then again, he did have a ridiculously high pain tolerance, even for a Shinobi.

After that little...adventure, the group had gone back to the clinic, where Kakashi had been informed that the distance limit was 2 kilometers. Thankfully, the doctors also explain that with time and practice, they’d be able to extend that limit. It seemed quirks were much like muscles in that they needed to be used fairly often to improve them.

After that, Kakashi’s Sharingan had been mentioned. When the doctors had asked to see his “red eyes”, he had easily complied. They’d seemed both confused and impressed. They’d also asked how it worked.

“It’s a special ability that a few people back home possess. It allows the bearer to copy techniques they view and permanently capture any memories or information they experience or see while it is activated.” he explained, Sharingan shutting off. “Though it does drain chakra the longer I use it, so I can’t keep it activated indefinitely.”

“Chakra?” Dr.Tsubasa seemed hesitant. Ah. That was right. Chakra didn’t exist here.

“It’s a natural energy in my world. It’s composed of a sort of mix of natural and spiritual energy, and it’s what my people use to form and create many of our techniques.” he explained. “It allows for very varied use, in that way. It can be used to attack, defend, or even outside battle for more mundane tasks like storing away objects.” he explained.

That was all he would say on the subject. He didn’t want to give away too much. Even if these people had no way to get to the Elemental Nations, he didn’t want to share too much about how his world worked with them.

He activated his Sharingan once more for show, but then heard a gasp. He looked over at Inko, where the noise had come from, and she was looking at Izuku. And as for Izuku himself....he had the Sharingan. Kakashi startled, the red fading in his shock, and it faded from Izuku’s gaze too. His eyes narrowed, and his mind raced as he considered what this could mean.

Before the doctors could say anything, Kakashi walked over to one of the walls, channeling chakra to his paws and stepping up. He walked up the wall, ignoring the choked sounds of suppose behind him, then turned his head to look at the group.

“Izuku.” he called. “Do you feel anything when you concentrate on your bond with me?”

The boy scrunched his nose, then nodded slowly. “Yeah. It’s like a buzzing feeling.”

“Come to the wall and latch on to that buzzing.” he instructed. “Then see if you can do what I’m doing.” He ignored the adults, focusing on the child as the boy did as he asked.

He held his breath as Izuku pressed a foot to the wall, and...it stuck. The boy didn’t have the strength to actually walk up the wall, and instead fell back to the ground on his rear. Kakashi cut off his chakra and leapt to the ground, lowering his head to nudge Izuku up before he regarded the others.

“It seems,” He mused. “That Izuku can borrow my abilities.”

The doctors seemed stunned by that reveal, and he could already see their eagerness to learn more. Only, everyone stopped when they heard a small yawn. Kakashi looked down to Izuku, who was rubbing his eyes and blinking slowly. Inko softened, walking over and lifting the child into her arms.

“Can we end here, Dr.Tsubasa? I think we’ve learned all the important things about Izuku’s quirk.” Her voice was soft as she spoke

The doctor looked like he wanted to protest, before he sighed and nodded. “Yes, that would probably be best. I doubt we will get good results if your son is too tired to participate fully.” he murmured.

“And we have been here most of the day. Izu-Chan’s probably pretty hungry too.” Kakashi added cheerily.

Dr.Tsubasa nodded, then lead the way back to his office, the other doctors parting ways to their own rooms. When they entered, Inko sat on the stool while Tsubasa took the chair. Kakashi sat by the door, tail curling neatly around his paws. Before anything could be said, there was a knock at the door and the woman from the reception poked her head in, handed something to the doctor, then left once more.The doctor himself opened up the package he’d been given, lifting a wide, adjustable collar.

“This is a collar used to designate any creatures or animals accompanying a human as a result of a quirk. It’s not something that has to be used often, due to the rarity of Familiar type quirks,but your son’s wolf is not the first case of a permanent companion that’s been documented. This collar a temporary one, as the real versions are typically custom to the Familiar and also have a chip embedded with their information. It allows any heroes or law enforcement to see that you are not a villain or a result of a villain’s quirk.” The doctor explained. “You can register for the official collar online and specify how you want it to look and the information you want the chip to have. It will be mailed to you a few days after you do so, but in the meantime this will serve the same purpose.” he explained, handing it over to Inko.

She nodded, taking the collar and smiling. “Thank you for all your help, Dr.Tsubasa. If we run into any problems with Izuku’s quirk, we’ll be back.” she said softly, then stood, bowing shortly to the man and leaving.

Kakashi stood to follow her, casting one last look at the man. There was something about him that set his instincts on edge. He couldn’t describe what, but those instincts had saved Kakashi’s life hundreds of times over.Still, he wouldn’t say anything. Only time would tell now if anything would come of his gut feeling. The wolf straightened, then turned and padded after Inko. She stopped in the reception, setting Izuku on a chair and turning to Kakashi with the collar.

He tensed as he saw it, narrowing his eyes. He was a Hatake. And like any Hatake, he didn’t like collars. His Clan had long been connected to wolves, which was he he hadn’t been surprised when Izuku’s quirk had apparently turned him into one. But it was because of that connection that the Hatake clan loathed collars, viewing them as a degrading and a form of subjugation. Even the Inuzuka, who were closely related to the Hatake through a common ancestor some centuries back, hated collars with a passion.

Inko noticed his hesitation, and frowned. “I know you probably don’t like it, Kakashi-san, but it’s only temporary. When I register for the official one I’ll make sure it’s not a proper collar. But please? Just for the time being.” she requested.

Kakashi stared for a long moment, then sighed and leaned forward, she slipped it around his neck, adjusting it and leaving it loose, which he did appreciate, then stepped back and picked up her son. She shot him a grateful smile, then left the clinic and started on the path that he distantly recognized as leading back to the apartment.

As Kakashi followed, his thoughts turned in his head. He didn’t know how to feel about all this. For all intents and purposes, he was dead to everyone he had ever known and loved. That realization...stung. He’d miss so many of the things he had wanted to experience after the War. And he wasn’t in the Pure Lands, which meant he couldn’t even watch his students grow up and build their own lives. But he didn’t blame Izuku for that. It was no one’s fault. He’d always been good at rolling with the punches, adapting to whatever life threw at him. But this...this was big. He missed his students. He missed his friends. He missed Gai. He missed the small pack he had managed to cobble together for himself after he’d lost his first one.  
  


But he couldn’t go back, either. So he didn’t really have a choice but to just...adapt to life here. His gaze shifted, landing on Izuku. The boy was curled up in his mother’s arms, snoring softly and dead to the world. A small smile twitched on his lips at the sight, and Kakashi sighed quietly. He would grieve what he had lost. And all he could do now was just live out his life here. Izuku was a cute kid. It probably wouldn’t be too bad to be his Familiar. Already, he could feel his old wolf heart softening towards the boy. He’d make the most of his new life, and maybe he could help Izuku on his own path. It would give him something to do, at the very least.

_Obito, Rin, Minato-sensei, Father....forgive me. It looks like I’m going to be late again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the first official chapter, out for the world! I hope y’all liked it. Let me know what you thought! Feedback is always appreciated.
> 
> As a heads up, future chapters likely won’t be this long. At least not regularly. I’ll keep chapter lengths as consistent as I can, but this one was a longer one just because there was a lot that needed to be set up as foundations for the rest of the story to be built upon.
> 
> The next couple chapters will focus on Izuku’s childhood, and Kakashi learning about his new world. I’ll try to get the next chapter out within the next couple of weeks. I hope to see you then!


	3. Something Lost, Something Gained

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi worries about some things, and has a chat with Inko.
> 
> Izuku drags his new Familiar to the park. 
> 
> Kakashi hasn’t known peace and comfort in years. Inko is determined to change that.
> 
> (He misses his home.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter 2! I hope you all enjoy it! I can’t promise a regular schedule for future updates, but I’ll do my best to make sure you guys don’t have to wait too long.
> 
> Trigger Warnings: Mentioned canonical suicide.

For the first time since his ANBU days, Kakashi lost time. When they’d returned to the apartment the previous night, Inko had prepared dinner, the trio had eaten, and Izuku had been shooed off to bed. Kakashi had curled up in front of the couch for the night, though he hadn’t slept. Instead, his mind had just...blanked. He hadn’t processed anything for hours, simply existing as grief crashed over him. The next morning, Inko and Izuku had noticed how he’d still seemed out of it, but they hadn’t pushed him. Inko had seemed to understand he needed time. He was grateful for that. It hurt, to know he had lost everything he’d worked so hard for. Everything he’d bled and killed for.

It had been a crashing sound that snapped him into awareness and kept him from spiraling further. Instinct had him on his feet, chakra buzzing under his skin and form tense in preparation to fight, before he realized there was no danger.When he’d looked to the window, he realized it was midday. _Shit_. He’d been out if it for that long? He looked towards the kitchen, where the crash had come from, and saw Inko cleaning up a broken dish. He felt...drained. Tired and numb and he had to fight to keep his thoughts from drifting away again. Even so, he padded towards Inko.

“Are you alright?” He winced at the audible exhaustion in his voice.

Inko looked up, startled. “Ah, yes! I’m fine! I just dropped a glass on accident, is all.” She seemed hesitant to say more, but pressed on. “Are you okay, Kakashi-san? You seemed...not entirely there, last night and this morning.” She said cautiously.

“I’m...fine.” The wolf said haltingly. He wondered how much to tell her. “Just..” he trailed off, then cleared his throat and tried again. “Just thinking of home. I’m going to miss it.”

Inko smiled sadly. “Ah, yes. I can imagine.” Here, she paused again. “I hope you don’t mind me saying so, but it looked worse than simply being lost in thought.”

“Ah.....”

“You don’t have to say anything if you’re uncomfortable doing so, Kakashi-san.”

He shook his head. “It’s fine.” he tilted his head, wondering how best to explain it. “I’m a soldier, Inko-san. There’s a lot in my head that isn’t quite right.” he said quietly. “I’m no danger to your son, or you, or anyone.” he rushed to assure. “But as a result of what I’ve experienced, and what I’ve done, the way I process things, especially significant loss, is...abnormal.” There. That was the best way he could explain it without delving into too much detail.

Inko seemed sad at the revelation. “I don’t think you’re a danger, Kakashi-san.” she soothed. She stayed quiet for a moment before she stood, tossing away the broken glass and looking at the large wolf. “You’re a soldier?”

“One one the best.”

Her lips turned down at the heaviness in his voice. That hadn’t been a brag, she could tell. It had simply been a statement of fact.

“I see.” she sighed. “I won’t pretend to understand what you’ve been through. I doubt I can even really imagine it.” she said. She could see his scars, especially the one over his eye. His life couldn’t have been kind to him. “But...did you never get help? Were there no systems in place to help soldiers deal with trauma where you came from?”

“There were.” he said simply. “But I never really used them. They weren’t the best. Those systems mostly focused on ensuring the soldiers of my home were sane and stable enough to continue fighting.” he sighed. “They didn’t help with...everything else.”

And oh, he knew that Minato-sensei had hated that. So had Inoichi-sama. When his teacher had been Hokage, the man had started a program to try and make those systems better, and the Yamanaka Clan Head had been helping him. They’d wanted to create a system where the Shinobi of the village could actually get real help for their traumas. But then the Kyuubi had attacked, and Sensei had been killed. The Sandaime had returned to power, and the project had never been continued. In the wake of the attack, and all the destruction and death that had resulted from it, there had just been so many more pressing matters that had to be dealt with. By the time things had calmed enough that such a project could be focused on, it had been forgotten, and brushed aside in favor of more militaristic plans.

Inko was frowning. “That doesn’t sound very good. Why wouldn’t your peoples government be more insistent on good mental health programs?”

“My home....is very militaristic.” he said carefully. “It was more important to the people in charge that the soldiers, especially the stronger, more important ones, were always available to be sent out on a mission.” he explained. “As long as the soldiers were stable enough to do that, and as long as they remained loyal to the Village, then any eccentricities they had could be ignored.”

“Even if those eccentricities were a direct result of poorly dealt with trauma?”

And Kami bless her, but Inko seemed genuinely angry and offended on his behalf. Kakashi just shrugged helplessly, and didn’t say anything else. Thankfully, it seemed she understood he was getting uncomfortable with that topic of conversation, because she sighed and shook her head.

“It’s not right, Kakashi-san.” was all she said.

“Maybe not.” he allowed. “But it’s all I knew.”

He could tell she wanted to ask more, but was grateful when she refrained. Instead, she cleared her throat and began bustling about the kitchen once more.

Kakashi sat down, watching her as she moved around with a casual familiarity. It was obvious she’d spent a lot of time in the kitchen. Which, seeing as she was a single mother to a very young child, he wasn’t surprised. Speaking of which, that did bring up something he’d been curious about.

“Inko-san, I hope you don’t mind me prying, but I wondered what the deal with Izuku’s father is?”

At his question, the woman stopped what she was doing, her back to him. She swallowed thickly, and Kakashi suddenly had the feeling that he had asked a rather sensitive question. His ears pinned back and he furrowed his brows, opening his mouth to speak when her voice rose quietly.

“Hisashi...left.” she said. “He went overseas for his work two years ago. He used to call me regularly, but then a few weeks ago, his calls tapered off and eventually stopped altogether. I haven’t heard from him since.” her voice was right with grief, and Kakashi darted his tongue over his nose nervously.

“Is he...” he trailed off, not knowing a gentle way to ask.

“He’s not dead. If he was, his work would have told me, or I would have been notified by the relevant authorities. There’s processes for these things, you know.” she said softly. “It would be the same if he was kidnapped or had gone missing. But I’ve heard nothing from any of those fronts, and he hasn’t answered when I try to contact him.”

“So he left you.” Kakashi said, voice hard in his anger. Inko flinched, and he regretted being so blunt.

“Yes, it would seem so.” she agreed sadly.

He stood, padding forward and pressing his nose to her shoulder for a brief moment. “I’m sorry.” he murmured. “You don’t deserve that.”

And she didn’t. Inko was so endlessly kind. She could easily have treated Kakashi poorly, could easily have acted as if he was a common beast. But she hadn’t. She’d treated him with kindness and respect, and respected his boundaries without a hint of judgment. He didn’t know her or Izuku very well yet, but they both deserved better than a man who simply left and turned his back on them.

She smiled faintly, turning to pat his shoulder before she returned to her cooking. “It’s quite alright. I’ve learned to accept it, even if it does upset me. I do still love Hisashi, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving him.” she said simply, and Kakashi smiled sadly.

“I understand.”

And he did. His father had never stopped loving his mother, after all. He knew the situations weren’t exactly the same. Kakashi’s mother had died in child birth. She hadn’t voluntarily left her family like Inko’s husband had. But she had still been gone, and Kakashi had been able to tell that Sakumo had adored his mother and ached for her, every day of his life until his suicide. Kakashi hadn’t understood, then. But he had, as he’d grown older. He’d come to understand a lot about his father, and why he did what he did.

Inko let out a soft chuckle. “Look at us,” she said jokingly. “Two grown adults bonding over tragedies.” She paused. “You are an adult, right?”

Kakashi laughed. “Yes, I am.” he agreed.

She chuckled again, and they fell into a companionable silence as she cooked. His mind wandered as he sat with her in the kitchen, never spending too long on one topic before moving on to another. It was only as Inko began plating everything when he realized something was wrong with the image he was seeing.

“Inko-san, that is a lot of food.” he said dumbly. And it was. It was several large plates, many times more than what three people would need for a single meal. Even if he was more wolf than human now, it still seemed like too much.

She turned her head, smiling over her shoulder. “Yes.” she agreed. “You ate a lot last night. You were very out of it, but you kept looking at the food dishes after you’d eaten what was on your plate. After Izuku and I had our fill, you ate everything left on the table, and I still had to cook you more before you were full!” she giggled, seemingly amused by the recounting.

Kakashi, for his part, was horrified. “I’m sorry!” he apologized hurriedly. “You don’t need to make so much food on my account!”

“But you ate quite a bit yesterday. I don’t want you to be hungry, Kakashi-san.”

“It’s alright.” he shook his head. “I’ve survived off less food many times before. I can do it again.”

Her expression turned hard here, and she shook her head. “Absolutely not! I will not have anyone go hungry under my roof!” she said fiercely.

“But...” he began awkwardly.

“But what?”

“Can you afford to feed me that much all the time?”

And that was the issue, wasn’t it? From what he’d observed of the small family, they were rich. Far from it. While they weren’t poor, either, they certainly didn’t have the money to have to buy double or even triple the amount of groceries they usually got just for his sake. Especially with a growing child in the house. He knew young children tended to be expensive enough on their own without adding additional complications like a massive wolf to the mix.

She softened, chuckling. “Don’t worry about that, Kakashi-san. You let me worry about the finances, alright?”

“I don’t want to to spend all your money on me.” he protested.

“I won’t have to.” she smiled. “There’s programs to help in situations like this.”

He just blinked dumbly.

Inko chuckled before continuing. “Unfortunately, I don’t qualify for any of the governmental programs.” she explained. “I earn enough at my job that I don’t fall into that bracket. However, there are many people like you. People who have quirks that result in strange or extreme dietary requirements, and make too much to qualify for government aid, but not enough to feed themselves to the degree they need.” she explained. “There’s a well known organization called Feeding the Unfeedable that helps in that regard. They’re not affiliated with the government, and it’s run by community members. They survive off donations. Every year, several hero companies also donate very large sums, as they believe the group does good work for average citizens.” she explained.

Kakashi tilted his head. “So you applied for this?”

She nodded, smiling. “I wrote to the group and explained the situation. They offered to either send food packages of raw meat every week, enough to last you that long, or a money cheque every month so I could by groceries. I took the cheque. All I have to do is send them the receipts of my groceries every month for the first year to prove I’m doing what I promised with the money.”

He frowned. “I would have been fine with the meat. That’s probably easier for you.”

“It would be easier.” she agreed. “But you shouldn’t have to eat only raw meat every day for the rest of your life. I think that’d probably grow very dull very quickly.” she paused. “Unless that’s what you want?”

He blinked. “I’d be fine with it.”

She smiled. “Yes, I imagine so.” she agreed. “But I like cooking, Kakashi-san. I’d rather you eat good food that you enjoy than eat whatever is most convenient simply because you don’t want to cause trouble for me. If I ever don’t want to cook so much, I can just buy you meat from the store.” she said.

He sighed, sagging and nodding. “Oh, alright.” he agreed. He wouldn’t argue if she was sure she could handle it. He’d cut back on his food intake if she looked like she was struggling with feeding him, though.

“Good.” she smiled. “Now, what’s your favorite food? I’ll see if I can make it for you some time.”

He just shook his head, snorting. There was no winning with her, was there? “Eggplant miso and salt-broiled saury.”

“Lovely.” she chirped. “Now go collect Izuku for me, will you? It’s lunch time.”

Kakashi chuckled, standing and turning to where the boy’s bedroom was. “Yes ma’am.”

* * *

Lunch had been nice. One of the chairs had been pushed against the wall at the table, to make space for Kakashi. He’d sat down and enjoyed the meal, eating his fill and content to listen to Izuku babble about heroes. He’d interjected once to ask what exactly heroes were, and been treated to a loud, eager explanation.

Apparently, heroism was actually a job in this world. Heroes were people who trained for years, then devoted their lives to saving people and stopping villains. Villains, for their part, were criminals who used their own quirks to wreak havoc or attempt any number of more sinister plots. It was all quite a lot to take in, so Kakashi had spent the rest of the meal silent, processing the information he’d learned and everything it implied.

When they’d finished eating, Izuku had jumped off his chair and bounced eagerly in place. “Can we go to the park, mom? Please?” he asked eagerly.

Inko arched a brow. “Izuku, be honest. You just want to show off Kakashi, don’t you?” She sounded amused and faintly scolding.

Izuku froze, looking at her with wide eyes. Ah. So that had been his plan. Kakashi bit back a laugh, his tail wagging lazily with his amusement. Izuku wore his emotions on his sleeve. He’d have to fix that. Especially if he seriously intended to become a hero, like he’d eagerly revealed during lunch.

“I’m sorry! It’s just Kakashi’s so cool!”

“Izuku-!”

“Mah mah,” Kakashi cut in. “I don’t mind. You mentioned that quirk manifestation is a big deal here. I understand his excitement. I don’t mind.”

Inko blinked, then sighed. “If you’re sure.” She frowned, then turned back to her son. “I’m sorry, Izuku, but I can’t go with you. Maybe another day. I have quite a few things I have to do to make Kakashi-san’s settling here easier on him.” she said quietly.

At the boy’s sad look, the wolf sighed. “Oh, fine.” he said. “If you don’t mind, Inko-san, then I can take him. He’ll have to direct me to the park but I can keep an eye on him.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I don’t mind. Besides, it would be a good opportunity to bond. I am his Familiar now, aren’t I?” Kakashi assured, tilting his head and grinning lazily.

Inko smiled. “Yes, I suppose so.” She turned to her son, who was vibrating from anticipation. “Go get ready, Izuku. Kakashi-san will take you. You listen to him like you listen to me, alright?”

“Yes!” the boy cheered, then rushed to the door to get ready. “Don’t worry, mom! I’ll listen!”

Kakashi followed the boy, and soon they were out the door and on the street. He could do this. This would also be a good opportunity for him to observe his new world a bit more. He could see how much he could learn. And anyway, how hard could watching one four year old be?

* * *

Easy enough, as it turned out. Izuku was a good kid. On the way to the park, the boy had stayed close to Kakashi, always within easy reach of the wolf. When they’d arrived at the park itself, the children and mothers there had frozen. He’d scented sour fear on the air, and his nose had wrinkled in distaste. Thankfully, Izuku had managed to defuse the tension. It seemed even the boy had noticed the air of fear.

“Ah, please don’t worry!” He shouted. “This is Kakashi! He’s my quirk!”

He could see the mothers relaxing slightly, though they still seemed uneasy. Kakashi, for his part, just sighed and sat down. “That’s not much of an explanation, Izu-chan.” he drawled.

The children gasped, eyes widening with overeager awe and excitement. Oh dear. It seemed he’d forgotten one critical fact about children. Even in his own world, young children adored dogs. He’d had to be careful about summoning his dog around the park, especially when it was populated primarily by civilian children. Children universally liked dogs, even in different worlds. And apparently, wolves were close to dogs in the minds of children to also be fawned over.

“You have a talking wolf for your quirk? That’s so cool!” One of the children babbled.

He felt small hands on his fur, and had to bite back his distaste. They were children. He would not be mean to children. Even he had standards. He just had to put up with this.

“Yeah!” Izuku confirmed brightly. “I summoned him yesterday! He’s my Familiar!”

One of the mothers walked over, smiling faintly. “That’s very nice.” she said gently. “And you’re sure he won’t hurt anyone?”

“Mm!” Izuku grinned. “Kakashi’s nice!”

And so the crises was averted. Kakashi was grateful. The children had gathered around him for a little longer, before they’d eventually run off back to the park, bored with his lack of response. Izuku had joined them, and they’d begun playing tag. Kakashi had settled down by the benches, laying down on his stomach and resting his head on his paws. He watched the children play for an hour or so, ears carefully perked to listen to the conversations of the mothers nearby in hopes of learning something new. It ended up being useless, however, as all he managed to learn was the neighborhood gossip.

Kakashi yawned, jaws stretching wide and tongue curling. He swallowed, sighing softly, only to tense. A second later he was rolling to the side and shoving himself to his paws, and a young man in a brown and grey costume was standing where he’d been lying. The wolf growled, though he didn’t attack just yet. The man yelled, then the earth gathered around his fist like a massive gauntlet and he slammed it towards Kakashi. He leapt out of the way, crouching in a defensive position and snarling.

“Leave, villain!” the man demanded, attacking once more. “You will not hurt these children!”

Kakashi just scoffed, rolling his eyes. He wasn’t a villain, thank you very much. He opened his mouth to inform the man about that crucial little detail when he heard a yell and a flash of green appeared in front of him. 

_Izuku_.

The wolf surged forward, standing over the young boy, and just in time too. The man had been attacking again, inches from striking Izuku. Instead, the earth gauntlet struck Kakashi right between his shoulders, and he grunted and had to brace himself to keep from falling on top of his charge.

Said charge wailed in protest, then crawled out from under the wolf and yelled again. “Rock Fist, please stop! Kakashi’s my quirk!”

The man seemed to hesitate for a moment, and it was at that moment an older woman landed next to him. She was dressed in yellow, white,and black, and most noticeably she bore a pair of delicate bug-like wings at her back. She grabbed the young man’s fist, her eyes narrowed.

“Rock Fist, what have I told you about jumping into situations without thinking?”

“Uh, not to? But-!”

“But nothing! You attacked a park out of no where, and you almost attacked a child in doing so!”

“But Hornet! There’s a giant wolf here! And I saw it’s teeth! It could have been about to attack everyone.” The man tried to defend himself.

Kakashi was starting to understand that this was probably a hero. After all, no one in the park was panicking like they’d be if they were being attacked by someone dangerous, like a villain. The mothers had just gathered their children and withdrawn to the edges of the park, seemingly for safety’s sake so they wouldn’t be pulled into the fight. Though, if this young man was a hero, he obviously wasn’t a very bright one.

“Rock Fist, stop being an idiot and think. The wolf was lying down by the benches, it’s head was down, and it was yawning. It wasn’t going to attack anyone. You would have known that if you’d bothered to observe the situation. You also would have realized that no one was freaking out. If that wolf was a threat, none of the mothers here would actually have been so at ease.” The woman, apparently Hornet, berated.

Izuku chose that moment to cut it, right as Rock Fist opened his mouth again. “Oh wow, you’re Pro Hero Hornet!” he gasped. “Thank you for helping us! I’m sorry if Kakashi scared your sidekick. I promise he’s not gonna hurt anyone! He’s my Familiar! I summoned him yesterday!” he seemed excited, though he was his voice had a noticeable tremor to it.

The woman glanced down, then smiled. “Hey, kiddo.” she greeted. “I’m glad you’re alright and that my idiot sidekick here didn’t hurt you.” she said, ignoring Rock Fist’s yell of protest. “I noticed he’s your Familiar. I saw his collar, and when I saw him jump to protect you I figured he was yours.” she chuckled.

“Wait wait wait.” Rock Fist interrupted. “Familiar?”

“Yes, Rock Fist.” Hornet sighed. She pointed to Kakashi’s collar. “That’s how you tell. Familiar quirks are rare, but I know you learned about them in Ketsubutsu.” she sighed.

“Oh.” the man flushed under his mask, which covered his eyes and nose. “Right. I did. Now I remember.”

Hornet sighed again, then turned to Kakashi and Izuku. “I’m sorry about what happened kid. Your Familiar did a good job keeping you safe.” she said. “But you might want to get home. He’s bleeding and he looks like he could use a good clean up.”

Now that she mentioned it, and the adrenaline was fading, Kakashi did feel a dull throbbing from his shoulders. “Mah, mah, miss hero is right, Izu-chan. I don’t want my messy looks to scare more people.”

Hornet noticeably startled, though Rock Fist actually jumped back in his surprise. Izuku didn’t respond though, instead leaning against Kakashi. It seemed it had dawned on him just how close Rock Fist’s attack had come to hitting him.

“You can talk.” the Hornet noted.

“I can.” Kakashi drawled.

“In that case, I want to apologize directly. Kakashi, was it?”

“That’s my name.” the wolf agreed. “Though there’s no need to apologize. It wasn’t like you were the one to attack me.”

Rock Fist noticeably blushed again. “Sorry.” He mumbled after a moment.

Kakshi snorted. “Oh, the pride of the youth.” the deadpanned. “No hard feelings this time, but maybe next time it would be best if you did as your mentor said and observe for a moment before jumping to conclusions. If my reflexes weren’t what they were, your attack would have hurt Izuku.” he said seriously.

Rock Fist opened his mouth as if to protest, noticed Hornet’s severe look, then closed it and nodded. “Okay, yeah.” he muttered. “Fair.”

Kakashi nodded, then lay down and looked at Izuku. The boy was shaking faintly, and Kakashi recognized the signs. It seemed the that, now that the adrenaline was fading and the boy was coming down from it, the shock of his near miss earlier was beginning to settle in.

“Get up, Izu-chan.” he said gently. “Just don’t sit on the wound, please.”

The boy startled, the obeyed his request as if on autopilot. Kakashi had no doubt that if the boy was more aware, he’d be practically interrogating the two heroes. As it was, he was just quiet. Hornet nodded once at the pair, then grabbed her sidekick by the collar of his costume and flew away. Kakashi turned, and in the silence of the park, left through the gate. It was only when he was down the black that he heard activity begin anew, though it was noticeably more subdued than before.

Kakshi sighed, shaking his head and ignoring the looks thrown his way as he walked back towards the apartment. Well, that had been an adventure. Apparently, when you were wolf, watching one four year old was harder than you’d think.

* * *

Their return to the apartment was met with much fretting from Inko. She’d initially smiled when she had opened the door to Kakashi’s scratching, Izuku still perched on his back. But then she’d seen the bloody fur around where Rock Fist had hit him and her face quickly shifted into worry. She’d ushered them in, quickly got Izuku settled in front of the office computer, and started a video that immediately made the boy perk up. In the video, some giant of a man with bright blond hair was saving people from a collapsed building. Kakashi figured the man was a hero. And Izuku’s favorite, if the boy’s violent rocking back and forth was anything to go by.

Then, Inko turned to him and guided him into the bathroom. He lay down at her urging, and she took a damp towel and started to clean up the bloody fur around the wound.

“Oh, Kakashi-san!” she flittered around him, pulling out a first-aid kit once the wound was clean. “What happened? Are you okay? Should we go to a hospital, or a vet, or something of that sort? Do you need medical help?”

Kakashi sighed, smiling indulgently. “Mah, mah, please calm down, Inko-san.” he soothed. “I’m fine. It’s just a little torn skin. I’m not hurt; I barely feel it.” he said honestly. “I don’t need a doctor or a vet.” And damn him if the thought of having to go to a vet didn’t rankle his pride. “Just cleaning the wound is enough, thank you.” he said, making to get up.

The woman made an irritated noise, then put her hand on the back of his neck and pushed down. “Stay down, Kakashi-san. If you insist that you don’t need medical help, then I at least want to disinfect it.” she said, taking a bottle of antiseptic spray out of the first aid kit. “This will sting.” she warned. “And you didn’t tell me how this happened.” she added, spraying the wound with the antiseptic.

Kakashi twitched at the vicious sting, but otherwise didn’t react. He’d had far, far worse. “At the park, I was attacked by a hero sidekick.” he said.

Inko blinked. “What.” she said blandly.

The wolf chuckled. “Mm. He apparently thought I was a villain, or at least some villain’s beast, out to get the children.” he drawled. “I wasn’t even doing anything, just dozing in the sun.” This whole situation really amused him, now that the danger was over. “I was defending myself, and then Izuku got in between us.”

Here, Inko’s breath hitched and he could see the woman jerk towards the door, no doubt she wanted to check her son.

“Don’t worry.” he said quickly, making her look at him. “He’s fine. I took the hit.” He nodded over his shoulder. “That’s where this came from. The sidekick stopped, and before he could attack me again his mentor managed to come in and smooth things over. After that I left the park.”

Inko was quiet for a minute before slumping. “You protected my son.” her voice was soft as she spoke.

“I did.”

She looked at him, eyes filled with a dozen different emotions he couldn’t even begin to identify. “You protected my son. My Izuku.” she repeated. “You saved him, and got hurt in the process.” she took a deep breath, then released it and gave the wolf a soft, genuine smile. “Thank you, Kakashi-san. Thank you so much for keeping him safe.”

He blinked then chuckled. “Of course.” he assured. “I may not have chosen to be brought here, Inko-san, but that’s not your son’s fault. I fully intend to protect him for as long as I’m able to.”

She smiled brighter, nodding once before opening the bathroom door and stepping out. She paused as something occurred to her, looking back at the wolf. “I imagine you’re a bit tired, no?” she guessed. “If you’d like to take a nap, my bedroom is right next to the bathroom. You can sleep for a while and you won’t be bothered.” she offered.

He blinked, tilting his head. He hadn’t slept last night, and today had been more exciting than he’d thought it would be. He was a bit on the tired side. A nap would do him a lot of good. Even if he _could_ go much longer without sleep, that didn’t mean he wanted to reprove himself of it.

He nodded, standing and walking past her. “I’ll do that. Thank you, Inko-san.”

She only smiled at him again, then shook her head before turning towards the kitchen. As she walked down the hall, away from him, he heard what she said next. “No, Kakashi-san. I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

He just sighed, bemused but resigned to the situation, and turned towards the door Inko had mentioned. He pushed down the handle with his nose, then stepped in and nudged the door shut behind him. Rather than take the bed, he curled up on the large, fluffy carpet at its foot. The Shinobi sighed, then closed his eyes and relaxed. Within minutes, he was drifting off, his dreams filled with deep, soothing laughter and flashes of long, silver hair.

* * *

Kakashi was awoken by gentle shaking. For a moment, he startled, confused as to how and why someone unfamiliar could get so close, before he realized it was Inko. Ah, that was why. She didn’t register as a threat to his instincts. He yawned, then blinked and tilted his head.

“Inko-san?” he sniffed at the air, catching the scent of food. “Ah. Is it dinner time?”

The woman nodded. “Yes.” she spoke quietly. “Izuku has already eaten and gone off to bed. He was rather tired after the shock of today, so he had a bit of an earlier meal.” she explained.

So that was why she was being so quiet. He nodded, then stood and followed her to the kitchen. The food smelled lovely tonight, though it was also achingly familiar. He knew that scent, it was only his sleep heavy brain that didn’t care to identity exactly what is was. He stepped into the dining area, only to freeze. Because there, on the table, was-

“You made eggplant miso and salt-broiled saury?” His voice was thick an emotion he didn’t recognize.

Inko just smiled at him, her expression soft and achingly kind. “Of course, Kakashi-san. You did say they’re your favorites, after all.”

Kakashi swallowed thickly, feeling like there was something stuck in his throat. “Why?”

She came around to face him, gently cupping his large head in small hands. “You saved my son today, Kakashi-san.” she said firmly. “You also make him very happy. I understand you didn’t choose any of this for yourself, but you’ve said you’re going to be keeping my son safe. As a mother, that is the greatest gift in this world, to know my child will always be protected, wherever he may go.”

“I’m his Familiar.” he pointed out weakly.

“Exactly.” she agreed. “Do you know what that means, Kakashi-San?” At his frown, she smiled. “It means you’re family now.”

Kakashi’s breath stopped in his chest, and his eyes went wide. Inko just smiled at him yet again, one hand stroking the thick ruff of fur around his neck and chest. Then she stepped back and gestured to the table.

“Now come eat dinner. You’re family, Kakashi-san.” she repeated. “So have as much as you want.”

Kakashi shook, and in his mind’s eye saw a flash of long red hair and vibrant violet eyes.

_(Come on, Kashi-chan! Sit!”_

_Kushina waved the ladle in her hand towards the table, where three chairs were set up. He felt Sensei’s hand squeeze his shoulder, and then the blond was shifting around him to settle in one of the chairs. The Uzumaki turned then, and started putting the dishes of food on the table. Kakashi recognized those dishes. Eggplant miso and salt-broiled saury, like his father used to make. He took a step back, and felt her eyes pierce into him._

_“Why?”His voice was hoarse._

_In a flash, Kushina was in front of him, grinning bright and easy and looping an arm around his shoulders to tug him against her side. “Because they’re you’re favorites! Why else?”_

_“But I don’t understand. I’m not....”_

_She looked down at him critically, then bent down to look him in the eye, her gaze serious. “Kashi-chan. You’re like a son to us, you know?”_

_His breath froze in his lungs and he almost choked, eyes snapping to Sensei who was only smiling softly, before he returned his attention to the redhead._

_“What?” he croaked._

_“Mina loves you.” she explained. “Always has. Since you were an itty bitty Genin and apprenticed to him. And I think you’re pretty neat too. You don’t have to stay permanently, but Pretty Boy over there and I want you to be a bigger part of our lives, if you’ll have us.” Here, she grinned again. “Besides, I happen to think you’ll make a great big brother to little Naruto, and I know Mina agrees.” she added brightly, one hand slipping to press against the gentle swell of her belly._

_“I-” he choked, then cut himself off. What could he even say to that?_

_Kushina softened, then gently guided him to sit at the table, his place already set with a bowl of miso and a healthy serving of the saury. His throat felt thick. He hadn’t shared his favorite meal with anyone since father had-_

_“You don’t have to decide right now, Kakashi.” Minato said quietly, interrupting his spiraling thoughts._

_“Or at all.” Kushina smiled brightly as she took her own place. “But let’s just eat, alright? I didn’t spend all that time cooking just for you two pansies to not eat, dattebane!”_

_Kakashi still didn’t understand, but he picked up his chopsticks anyway._

_...maybe he could get used to this.)_

“...-san? Kakashi-san!”

The wolf stiffened, then roughly shook himself out of his stupor and looked to who was calling him. Inko. She was worried, he could tell by the furrow in her brow

“Are you alright, Kakashi-san?”

“I-” his voice broke, and he cleared his throat before trying again. “I’m fine.” he assured. He swallowed thickly, then padded to the spot at the table without a chair and sat, looking down at the large plate of food before him. “Please, Inko-san. Just call me by name. You can drop the honorific.” he said softly.

She blinked, then smiled at him and took her own seat. “Only if you do the same, Kakashi.” she agreed.

“Of course, Inko.”

He shot her a faint smile, though it was weaker than he’d like. She seemed to understand without him saying anything, and only smiled somewhat sadly in return before she turned down and tucked into her meal. Kakashi looked down at the large bowl of miso and plate of fish in front of him, and felt something in the depths of his chest fall away as he lowered his head to begin eating himself.

_Family, huh?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was it! How did y’all like it? I know writing the last scene broke me just a little. Kakashi is a bit broken, but he’ll get better, I promise. Him being in Izuku’s life will help him just as much as it’ll help Izuku.
> 
> Anyway, I don’t know when the next chapter will be out. I’m not gonna do something like wait a month to update, but it’ll probably be a couple weeks. In the meantime, tell me what you think! If you have any questions, I’ll answer what I can without spoiling what’s coming! If y’all have anything in particular you want to see (like a specific interaction between Kakashi and another character) let me know and as long as it doesn’t contradict my bigger plans for the story I might be able to work it in somewhere.
> 
> I still don’t have a Beta Reader, so please be patient with me when it comes to spelling mistakes and the like. I catch what I can before posting but some things slip by my notice since I’m too familiar with my own writing to catch little mistakes.
> 
> As always, thank you all very much for reading, and I hope to see you next chapter! Until then!

**Author's Note:**

> Anyway, that was the prologue! If y’all are interested in seeing this continue, please let me know, I already have the first arc of the story mostly planned out. I’d love if you commented to tell me what you thought, comments are the fuel for my starving writer’s soul. Future chapters will be longer, I promise!


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